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To accomplish this goal, instructors focus on the process of listening rather than on its product. They develop students' awareness of the listening process and listening strategies by[r]

PART ONE

INTRODUCTION

This study contains two parts: introduction and contents  Part one-Introduction

This part introduces to the readers the general of the study  Part two-Contents

This part contains: learning style of pupils in CHAU THANH I high school, compensation for each style and strategies for teaching listening

1) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Grateful acknowledgement to: DUONG TU MAI, principal and Miss NGUYEN THI NGOC HOA, English Teacher in CHAU THANH I high school who have become more helpful, more thoughtful, and more gratifying And I wish to thank the teachers and pupils in CHAU THANH I high school and the teachers of Department of Foreign Language in DONG THAP UNIVERSITY

Especially, I would like to profusely thank LE NHAT LONG, instructor from Department of Foreign Language in DONG THAP UNIVERSITY for his skillful instructions

2) GOALS

 To show out the learning style of pupils and compensate for each style

 To help the teacher teaching listening better and more quality by mastering characteristic of pupils

3) REASEACH METHODS

 Theory method: search materials in English teaching method book and information on the Internet

 Experiment method: uses investigate votes

Article I. STUDYING OBJECT  Learning style

 Listening English subject  Pupils in class 10

Article II. SCOPE OF THE STUDY

 Pupils study English in class 10(10cb5, 10cb7, 10cb10, and 10cb11) in CHAU THANH I high school

 English subject

 Learning style of pupils in class 10

4) BIBLIGRAPHY

1 Materials, learning style questionnaire and compensation for learning style limitations, from Professor SHANNON BAILEY

2 http://www.nclrc.org/essentials/listening/stratlisten.htm

3 LE VAN SU, Teachers’ College LAC HONG UNIVESITY, DONG NAI province, English Mythology, 2005 (Some basic principles of language teaching)

4 http://www.onestopenglish.com/section.asp?catid=59653&docid=146219 http://www.sasked.gov.sk/docs/xla/ela15b.htm (Contrasting Effective and

PART TWO- CONTENTS I. LEARNING STYLE

1 Use the learning style questionnaire below

Direction: Each item presents two alternatives Select the alternative that best describes you In cases in which neither choice suits you, select the one that closer to your preference Write the letter of your choice in the blank to the right of each item

Part one

1) I would prefer to

a) Follow a set of oral directions b) Follow a set of written directions 2) I would prefer to

a) Attend a lecture given by a famous psychologist b) Read an article written by the psychologist 3) I am better at

a) Remembering faces b) Remembering names

4) Is it easier to learn new information? a) Using images (pictures)

b) Using language

5) I prefer to classes in which the instructor a) Uses films and videos

b) Lectures and answers questions

6) To obtain information about current events I would prefer to a) Watch TV news

b) Read newspaper

7) To learn how to operate a fax machine, I would prefer to a) Go to a demonstration

b) Consult a manual

Part two

1) I prefer to

a) Learn facts and details b) Construct theories and ideas 2) I would prefer a job involving

a) Solve math problems using a formula b) Discover why the formula works

4) I would prefer to write a term paper explaining a) How a process works

b) Explaining a theory 5) I prefer tasks that require

a) Careful, detailed following of instructions b) Reasoning and critical analysis

6) For a criminal justice course I would prefer to a) Discover how and when a law can be used b) Learn how and why it become law

7) To learn more about the operation of high-speed computer printer, I would prefer to

a) Work with several types of printers

b) Understand the principles on which they operate

Part three

1) To solve a math problem, I would prefer to a) Draw or visualize the problem

b) Study a sample problem and use it as a model 2) To remember things best, I

a) Create a mental picture b) Write it down

3) Assembling a cycle from a diagram would be a) Easy

b) Challenging

4) I prefer classes in which I

a) Handle equipment or work with models b) Participate in a class discussion

5) To understand and remember how a machine works, I would a) Draw a diagram

b) Write notes 6) I enjoy

a) Drawing or working with my hands b) Speaking, writing, and listening

7) If you were trying to locate an office on an unfamiliar a) Draw you a map

b) Tell you how to find the office

Part Four

1) For a grade in biology lab, I would prefer to a) Work with a lab partner

2) When faced with a difficult personal problem I prefer to a) Discuss it with others

b) Resolve it myself

3) Many instructors could improve their classes by a) Including more discussion and group activities

b) Allowing students to work on their own more frequently 4) When listening to a lecture or speaker I response more to

a) The person presenting the ideas b) The ideas themselves

5) When on a team project, I prefer

a) To work with several team members

b) To divide up tasks and complete those assigned to me 6) I

a) Frequently try to shop, run errands, and work with friends b) Seldom try to shop, run errands, and work with friends 7) A job in a busy office is

a) More appealing than working alone b) Less appealing than working alone

Part Five

1) To make decisions I rely on

a) My experiences and ‘gut’ feelings b) Facts and objective data

2-To complete a task, I

a) Can use whatever is available to get the job done b) Must have everything I need at hand

3) I prefer to express my ideas and feelings through a) Music, song, poetry

b) Direct, concise language 4) I prefer instructors who

a) Allow students to select what and how to learn b) Make their expectations clear and explicit 5) I tend to

a) Challenge and question what I hear and read b) Accept what I hear and read

6) I prefer

a) Essay exams b) Objective exams

2 Score your questionnaire

Record the total number of choice a you selected and the total number of choice b for each part of the questionnaire Record your total in the scoring grid provided below

Parts Total# of choice A Total# of choice B

………… …………

Part one Auditory Visual

………… …………

Part two Applied Conceptual

………… …………

Part three Spatial Verbal

………… …………

Part four Social Independent

………… …………

Part five Created Pragmatic

Now, circle your higher score for each part of the questionnaire The word below the score you circled indicates an aspect of your learning style You can interpret your scores by following descriptions

Part one: Auditory or Visual Learners This score indicates the sensory mode you prefer when processing information Auditory learners tend to learn more effectively through listening, white visual learners process information by seeing it in print or other visual models including film, picture, or diagram If you have a higher score on auditory than visual, you tend to be an auditory learner That is you tend to learn more easily by hearing than by reading A higher score in visual suggests strengths with visual modes of learning

Part Two: Applied or Conceptual Learners This score describes the types of learning tasks and learning situations you prefer and find most easy to handle If you are an applied learner you prefer tasks that involve real objects and situations Practical, real- life learning situations are ideal for you If you are a conceptual learner, you prefer to work with language and ideas; practical applications are not necessary for understanding

Part Four: Social or Independent Learners This score reveals your preferred level of interaction with other people in the learning process If you are a social learner you prefer to work with others-both peers and instructors- closely and directly You tend to be people- oriented and enjoy personal interaction If you are an independent learner, you prefer to work and study alone You tend to be self- directed and self- motivated, and often goal oriented

Part Five: Created or Pragmatic Learners this score describes the approach you prefer to take toward learning tasks Creative learners are imaginative and innovative They prefer to learn though discovery or experimentation They are comfortable taking risks and following hunches Pragmatic learners are practical, logical, and systematic They seek order and are comfortable following rules

3 Learning Style and Strategies for class 10cb5, 10cb7, 10cb10, and 10cb11

Style

Class

1.1 1.2 2.1 2.2 3.1 3.2 4.1 4.2 5.1 5.2

10cb5 (37 pupils with 259 cards) 203a 78.% 56b 21.% 103a 39.% 156b 60.% 128a 49.% 131b 50.6% 186a 71.8% 73b 28.2% 174a 67.2% 85b 32.8% 10cb4 (39 pupils with 273 cards) 178a 65.% 95b 34.% 137a 50.% 136b 49% 123a 45% 150b 555% 156a 57% 117b 43% 142a 52% 131b 48% 10cb10(35 pupils with 245 cards) 172a

70.% 73b29.% 91a37.% 154b62% 124a50.% 121b49.4% 152a62% 93b38% 148a60.4% 97b39.6% 10cb11( 38

pupils with 289 cards)

213a

73.% 76b26.% 112a38.% 177b61.% 127a44% 162b56% 139a48.1% 150b51.9% 151a52.2% 138b47.8%

Learning Styles and Compensating for Learning Style Limitations

If you are weak in… You can improve if you…

1.1 Auditory learning - sharpen your listening skills Work on nictitating skills

Focus your concentration during the class lectures

Take a public speaking course for listening practice

Summarize oral information Study with auditory learner

1.2 Visual learning - learn how and when to draw diagrams Learn mapping

Copy and rewarding visuals provided by instructors

Study the function of graphics Notice and read visual and graphics Study with a visual learner

2.1 Applied learning - pay attention to applications

Ask and answer the questions, “How can I use this info?”

Study discussion questions

Take notes during that class that focus on application

Summarize steps, directions, processes, procedures

Use visual

Find practical uses for ideas Ask how it works, not WHY Study with applied learner

2.2 Conceptual learning - ask and answer: why is this important? How we known? Why is it that way? What would happen if…?

Look for the big picture; how ideas all relate Create models and theories

Group info and create labels Look for organizes Patterns Summarize notes and readings Do extensive prereading

Make connections between texts Connect lectures and reading Study with conceptual learner

3.1 Spatial learning - use mapping Use outlining

Draw diagrams, make charts and sketches Use visualization

3.2 Nonspatial (Verbal) learning - translate diagrams and drawing into language Record steps and processes in language

Study with spatial learner

4.1 Social learning - get involved with classmates Focus on the others’ feelings Learn about body language Join groups, clubs; share interests Get to know a classmate well Study with social learner

4.2 Independent learning - work on time management skills Set and carry out goals

Set time limits for tasks

5.1 Creative learning - use free-writing; brainstorm

Exercise creativity by imaging and visualizing Study with creative learner

5.2 Pragmatic learning - develop organizational skills Set goals and time limits

Summarize procedures, processes Organize material each week Outline to organize info Study with a pragmatic learner

1 Some basic principles of language teaching

The teacher should take the following principles into consideration when teaching:

a) LEARNING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN TEACHING

 The teacher should use different materials, methods and techniques to help the students learn effectively

 Do not give the same things all the time

b) DON’T TELL THE STUDENTS WHAT THEY CAN TELL YOU THEY NEED THE PRACTICE, NOT YOU

 Give students opportunities to elicit the language

 Encourage students to make guesses and to work out rules  Teacher should not most of the talking

c) TEACH THE STUDENTS, NOT THE BOOK  Students should have priority over the text  Prepare supplementary exercises if necessary

 Repeat the lessons for the sake of student’s’ understanding when necessary

d) VARY WHAT YOU DO OR TEACH

 You can rearrange the parts of the lesson  You can teach a reading text in different ways  Introduce alternative activities

 Vary the techniques

e) MAKE STUDENTS ENJOY LEARNING  Give fun to the language teaching

 The more fun you give the students, the better they will learn f) HAVE STUDENTS WORK IN PAIRS AND IN GROUPS

 Pair and group work encourages the students to share ideas and help each other

 The teacher must give clear instructions about what to and when to start and stop

2 Goals and Techniques for Teaching Listening

Instructors want to produce students who, even if they not have complete control of the grammar or an extensive lexicon, can fend for themselves in communication situations In the case of listening, this means producing students who can use listening strategies to maximize their

2.1) Focus: The Listening Process

To accomplish this goal, instructors focus on the process of listening rather than on its product

They develop students' awareness of the listening process and listening strategies by asking students to think and talk about how they listen in their native language

They allow students to practice the full repertoire of listening strategies by using authentic listening tasks

They behave as authentic listeners by responding to student communication as a listener rather than as a teacher

When working with listening tasks in class, they show students the strategies that will work best for the listening purpose and the type of text They explain how and why students should use the strategies

They have students practice listening strategies in class and ask them to practice outside of class in their listening assignments They encourage students to be conscious of what they're doing while they complete listening tape assignments

They encourage students to evaluate their comprehension and their strategy use immediately after completing an assignment They build comprehension checks into in-class and out-of-class listening assignments, and periodically review how and when to use particular strategies

They encourage the development of listening skills and the use of listening strategies by using the target language to conduct classroom business: making announcements, assigning homework, describing the content and format of tests

They not assume that students will transfer strategy use from one task to another They explicitly mention how a particular strategy can be used in a different type of listening task or with another skill

2.2) Integrating Metacognitive Strategies Before listening: Plan for the listening task

 Set a purpose or decide in advance what to listen for

 Decide if more linguistic or background knowledge is needed

 Determine whether to enter the text from the top down (attend to the overall meaning) or from the bottom up (focus on the words and phrases)

During and after listening: Monitor comprehension

 Verify predictions and check for inaccurate guesses  Decide what is and is not important to understand  Listen/view again to check comprehension

 Ask for help

After listening: Evaluate comprehension and strategy use  Evaluate comprehension in a particular task or area

 Evaluate overall progress in listening and in particular types of listening tasks

 Decide if the strategies used were appropriate for the purpose and for the task

 Modify strategies if necessary

2.3) Using Authentic Materials and Situations

Authentic materials and situations prepare students for the types of listening they will need to when using the language outside the

classroom

One-Way Communication

Materials:

 Radio and television programs

 Public address announcements (airports, train/bus stations, stores)  Speeches and lectures

 Telephone customer service recordings

 Help students identify the listening goal: to obtain specific information; to decide whether to continue listening; to understand most or all of the message

 Help students outline predictable sequences in which information may be presented: who-what-when-where (news stories); who-flight number-arriving/departing-gate number (airport announcements); "for

[function], press [number]" (telephone recordings)  Help students identify key words/phrases to listen for

Two-Way Communication

In authentic two-way communication, the listener focuses on the speaker's meaning rather than the speaker's language The focus shifts to language only when meaning is not clear Note the difference between the teacher as teacher and the teacher as authentic listener in the dialogues in the popup screens

3 Strategies for Developing Listening Skills

 Language learning depends on listening Listening provides the aural input that serves as the basis for language acquisition and enables learners to interact in spoken communication  Effective language instructors show students how they can adjust their

listening behavior to deal with a variety of situations, types of input, and listening purposes They help students develop a set of listening strategies and match appropriate strategies to each listening situation

3.1 Listening Strategies

Listening strategies are techniques or activities that contribute directly to the comprehension and recall of listening input Listening strategies can be classified by how the listener processes the input

Top-down strategies are listener based; the listener taps into background knowledge of the topic, the situation or context, the type of text, and the language This background knowledge activates a set of expectations that help the listener to interpret what is heard and anticipate what will come next Top-down strategies include

- listening for the main idea - predicting

Bottom-up strategies are text based; the listener relies on the language in the message, that is, the combination of sounds, words, and grammar that creates meaning Bottom-up strategies include

3.1.1 Listening for specific details

- recognizing cognates

- recognizing word-order patterns

Strategic listeners also use metacognitive strategies to plan, monitor, and evaluate their listening

They plan by deciding which listening strategies will serve best in a particular situation

They monitor their comprehension and the effectiveness of the selected strategies

They evaluate by determining whether they have achieved their listening comprehension goals and whether the combination of listening strategies selected was an effective one

(a) Listening for Meaning

To extract meaning from a listening text, students need to follow four basic steps:

- Figure out the purpose for listening Activate background knowledge of the topic in order to predict or anticipate content and identify

appropriate listening strategies

- Attend to the parts of the listening input that are relevant to the

identified purpose and ignore the rest This selectivity enables students to focus on specific items in the input and reduces the amount of information they have to hold in short-term memory in order to recognize it

- Select top-down and bottom-up strategies that are appropriate to the listening task and use them flexibly and interactively Students'

comprehension improves and their confidence increases when they use top-down and bottom-up strategies simultaneously to construct

meaning

3.2 Listening skills: top tips!

3.2.1 Pre-listening

During the pre-listening phase, teachers need to recognize that all students bring different backgrounds to the listening experience Beliefs, attitudes, and biases of the listeners will affect the understanding of the message In addition to being aware of these factors, teachers should show students how their backgrounds affect the messages they receive

Before listening, students need assistance to activate what they already know about the ideas they are going to hear Simply being told the topic is not enough Pre-listening activities are required to establish what is already known about the topic, to build necessary background, and to set purpose(s) for listening Students need to understand that the

Act of listening requires not just hearing but thinking, as well as a good deal of interest and information which both speaker and listener must have in common Speaking and listening entail three components: the speaker, the listener, and the meaning to be shared; speaker, listener, and meaning form a unique triangle

(King, 1984, p 177)

There are several strategies that students and their teachers can use to prepare for a listening experience They can:

 Activate Existing Knowledge Students should be encouraged to ask the question: What I already know about this topic? From this teachers and students can determine what information they need in order to get the most from the message Students can brainstorm, discuss, read, view films or photos, and write and share journal entries

 Build Prior Knowledge. Teachers can provide the appropriate background information including information about the speaker, topic of the

presentation, purpose of the presentation, and the concepts and vocabulary that are likely to be embedded in the presentation Teachers may rely upon the oral interpretation to convey the meanings of unfamiliar words, leaving the discussion of these words until after the presentation At this stage, teachers need to point out the role that oral punctuation, body language, and tone play in an oral presentation

 Review Standards for Listening. Teachers should stress the importance of the audience's role in a listening situation There is an interactive

o Students have to be physically prepared for listening They need to see and hear the speaker If notes are to be taken, they should have paper and pencil at hand

o Students need to be attentive In many cultures, though not all, it is expected that the listener look directly at the speaker and indicate attention and interest by body language The listener should never talk when a speaker is talking Listeners should put distractions and problems aside

o "Listen to others as you would have them listen to you."

 Establish Purpose Teachers should encourage students to ask: "Why am I listening?" "What is my purpose?" Students should be encouraged to articulate their purpose

o Am I listening to understand? Students should approach the speech with an open mind If they have strong personal opinions, they should be encouraged to recognize their own biases

o Am I listening to remember? Students should look for the main ideas and how the speech is organized They can fill in the secondary details later

o Am I listening to evaluate? Students should ask themselves if the speaker is qualified and if the message is legitimate They should be alert to errors in the speaker's thinking processes, particularly bias, sweeping generalizations, propaganda devices, and charged words that may attempt to sway by prejudice or deceit rather than fact o Am I listening to be entertained? Students should listen for those

elements that make for an enjoyable experience (e.g., emotive language, imagery, mood, humour, presentation skills)

o Am I listening to support? Students should listen closely to determine how other individuals are feeling and respond

appropriately (e.g., clarify, paraphrase, sympathize, encourage) o Before a speaker's presentation, teachers also can have students

formulate questions that they predict will be answered during the presentation If the questions are not answered, students may pose the questions to the speaker As well, students should be encouraged to jot down questions during listening

o An additional strategy is called TQLR It consists of the following steps:

- T Tune in

- Q Question

(The listener should mentally formulate questions What will this speaker say about this topic? What is the speaker's background? I wonder if the speaker will talk about ?)

- L Listen

(The listener should organize the information as it is received, anticipating what the speaker will say next and reacting mentally to everything heard.)

- R Review

(The listener should go over what has been said, summarize, and evaluate constantly Main ideas should be separated from

subordinate ones.)

 Use a Listening Guide A guide may provide an overview of the presentation, its main ideas, questions to be answered while listening, a summary of the presentation, or an outline For example, a guide such as the following could be used by students during a presentation in class

o Situation: Speaker's name: Date:

Occasion:

o What is the general subject of this talk?

o What is the main point or message of this talk? o What is the speaker's organizational plan?

o What transitional expressions (e.g., firstly, secondly, in contrast, in conclusion) does the speaker use?

o Does the speaker digress from the main point?

o Write the speaker's main point in no more than three sentences o What is your personal reaction to the talk?

(Based on Devine, 1982, p 33)

3.2.2 During Listening

Students need to understand the implications of rate in the listening process Nichols (1948) found that people listen and think at four times the normal

They can run a mental commentary on it; they can doubt it, talk back to it, or extend it They can rehearse it in order to remember it; that is, they repeat interesting points back to themselves They can formulate questions to ask the speaker jot down key words or key phrases They can wonder if what they are listening to is true, or what motives the speaker has in saying it, or whether the speaker is revealing personal feelings rather than objective assessments

(Temple and Gillet, 1989, p 55)

This kind of mental activity is what effective listeners during listening

Effective listeners:

 connect: make connections with people, places, situations, and ideas they know

 find meaning: determine what the speaker is saying about people, places, and ideas

 question: pay attention to those words and ideas that are unclear

 make and confirm predictions: try to determine what will be said next  make inferences: determine speaker's intent by "listening between the

lines"; infer what the speaker does not actually say

 reflect and evaluate: respond to what has been heard and pass judgment

Several strategies such as the following have been developed to help teachers guide students through the listening process

Teachers can use the Directed-Listening Thinking Activity (Stauffer, 1980) A description of this activity follows

 Choose a story with clear episodes and action Plan your stops just before important events Two to four stops is plenty

 At each stop, elicit summaries of what happened so far, and predictions of "what might happen next"

 Accept all predictions as equally probable

 Ask the students to explain why they made particular predictions and to use previous story information for justification

 Avoid "right" or "wrong"; use terms like "might happen", "possible", or "likely"

 After reading a section, review previous predictions and let the students change their ideas

 Involve everyone by letting the students show hands or take sides with others on predictions

 Keep up the pace! Do not let discussions drag; get back to the story quickly (Temple & Gillett, 1989, p 101)

Teachers can create listening guides to focus students' attention on the content, organization, or devices used by a speaker The following is an example:

Sample Listening Guide

Name of student: Nature of spoken presentation: _ Where heard: Name of speaker: _

Speaker's expressed purpose: 

Qualifications of speaker: 

Main Idea(s) presented: 

Noteworthy features of presentation: 

In what ways was the talk effective? Ineffective? Why? 

"Comprehension is enormously improved when the speaker's schema or organizational pattern is perceived by the listener" (Devine, 1982, p 22) Teach students the various structures (e.g., short story, essay, poetry, play),

organizational patterns (e.g., logical, chronological, spatial), and transitional devices. Effective listeners can follow spoken discourse when they recognize key signal expressions such as the following:

 Example words: for example, for instance, thus, in other words, as an illustration

Usually found in: generalization plus example (but may be found in enumeration and argumentation)

 Time word: first, second, third, meanwhile, next, finally, at last, today, tomorrow, soon

 Addition words: in addition, also, furthermore, moreover, another example Usually found in: Enumeration, description, and sometimes in generalization plus example

 Result words: as a result, so, accordingly, therefore, thus Usually found in: Cause and effect

 Contrast words: however, but, in contrast, on the other hand, nevertheless Usually found in: comparison and contrast (and whenever speaker makes a comparison or contrast in another pattern) (Devine, 1982, p 24) Most students need practice in making inferences while listening A simple way to help students become aware that there is meaning between the lines is to read a passage from literature which describes a character's actions, appearance, or surroundings From this information, students make inferences about the

character's personality Teachers should keep in mind that the purpose of an exercise such as this is not to elicit the exact answer, but to provide opportunities for students to make various inferences Students also need to be aware of the inferences they can make from non-verbal cues A speaker's tone and body language can convey a message as well

Teachers can also encourage guided imagery when students are listening to presentations that have many visual images, details, or descriptive words Students can form mental pictures to help them remember while listening

Although listeners need not capture on paper everything they hear, there are times that students need to focus on the message and need to record certain words and phrases Such notemaking ("listening with pen in hand") forces students to attend to the message Devine (1982) suggests strategies such as the following:

- Give questions in advance and remind listeners to listen for possible answers

- Provide a rough outline, map, chart, or graph for students to complete as they follow the lecture

- Have students jot down "new-to-me" items (simple lists of facts or insights that the listener has not heard before)

- Use a formal notetaking system (p 48)

Teacher selects an interesting piece of writing

The selection is read aloud to the class (and perhaps discussed) The teacher then dictates the passage slowly to the class The students transcribe the form and conventions (i.e., spelling, punctuation, and capitalization) as accurately as possible

Students compare their transcription with distributed copies of the original This task is best used as a diagnostic or teaching aid

Palmatier (1973) suggests students can benefit from the VerbatimSplit-page Procedure [VSPP] Students divide their notebook paper so that 40% of each page lies to the left and 60% to the right Students take brief notes on the left-hand side only The right-left-hand side is used after listening for reorganizing and expanding on the scribbles to the left

Sample VSPP 40%

60% Heroic

Superhuman Universal Enduring

Typical of Time/Culture Recurring

The superhuman heroic tradition is universal and enduring.

Each hero/heroine is typical of a time in history and the culture of that time.

Critical thinking plays a major role in effective listening Listening in order to analyze and evaluate requires students to evaluate a speaker's arguments and the value of the ideas, appropriateness of the evidence, and the persuasive techniques employed Effective listeners apply the principles of sound thinking and reasoning to the messages they hear at home, in school, in the workplace, or in the media

Planning and structuring classroom activities to model and encourage students to listen critically is important Students should learn to:

Critical listeners are concerned first with understanding accurately and completely what they hear (Brownell, 1996) Students should identify the speaker's topic, purpose, intended audience, and context The most frequent critical listening context is persuasion They should keep an open-minded and objective attitude as they strive to identify the main idea(s)/thesis/claim and the supporting arguments/points/anecdotes They should ask relevant questions and restate perceptions to make sure they have understood correctly Taking notes will enhance their listening

Analyze the speaker

Critical listeners must understand the reliability of the speaker Is the speaker credible? Trustworthy? An expert? Dynamic?

Analyze the speaker's evidence

Critical listeners must understand the nature and appropriateness of the evidence and reasoning What evidence is used? Expert testimony? Facts?

Statistics? Examples? Reasons? Opinions? Inappropriate evidence might include untrustworthy testimony; inadequate, incorrect, inappropriate, or irrelevant facts, statistics, or examples; or quotations out of context or incomplete

Analyze the speaker's reasoning

Critical listeners must understand the logic and reasoning of the speaker Is this evidence developed in logical arguments such as deductive, inductive, causal, or analogous? Faulty reasoning might include hasty or over-inclusive generalization, either-or argument, causal fallacy (therefore, because of this), non sequitur

(confusion of cause and effect), reasoning in a circle, begging or ignoring the question, false analogy, attacking the person instead of the idea, or guilt by association

Analyze the speaker's emotional appeals

Critical listeners must understand that persuaders often rely on emotional appeal as well as evidence and reasoning Critical listeners, therefore, must recognize effective persuasive appeals and propaganda devices A skilled critical listener identifies and discounts deceptive persuasive appeals such as powerful connotative (loaded) words, doublespeak, and appeals to fears, prejudice, discontent, flattery, stereotype, or tradition The listener must also identify and discount propaganda techniques such as bandwagon appeals, glittering

By understanding and practicing the principles of objective thinking, students can prepare themselves to listen effectively in most situations

Listening affects our ability to make good decisions, our appreciation of the world around us, and our personal relationships Effective communication begins with listening and with listeners carrying 80 percent of the responsibility in the interaction (Brownell, 1996, pp 6-7) Whether at home, in school, or in the workplace, effective listening is important for the development and maintenance of healthy relationships

3.2.3 After Listening

Students need to act upon what they have heard to clarify meaning and extend their thinking Well-planned post-listening activities are just as important as those before and during Some examples follow

 To begin with, students can ask questions of themselves and the speaker to clarify their understanding and confirm their assumptions

 Hook and Evans (1982) suggest that the post-mortem is a very useful device Students should talk about what the speaker said, question statements of opinion, amplify certain remarks, and identify parallel incidents from life and literature

 Students can summarize a speaker's presentation orally, in writing, or as an outline In addition to the traditional outline format, students could use time lines, flow charts, ladders, circles, diagrams, webs, or maps  Students can review their notes and add information that they did not

have an opportunity to record during the speech

 Students can analyze and evaluate critically what they have heard  Students can be given opportunities to engage in activities that build on

and develop concepts acquired during an oral presentation These may include writing (e.g., response journal, learning log, or composition),

reading (e.g., further research on a topic or a contradictory viewpoint),

art or drama (e.g., designing a cover jacket after a book talk or developing a mock trial concerning the topic through drama in role) 3.3 A handy guide to the skills students need to practice to become better listeners.

speakers, or identify the context in which the speakers are operating Students may well have to use several of these skills in the course of a single listening activity

Here are some of the main skills covered in the Listening lesson plans on this site, together with a brief description of what each skill involves

 Listening for the main idea - students listen to identify the overall ideas expressed in the whole recording

 Listening for details – students listen for groups of words and phrases at sentence level

 Listening for specific information – students listen for particular information at word level

 Predicting – students try to guess key information contained in the recording before they listen

 Inferring meaning – students listen to identify the difference between what the speaker says and what they actually mean

 Identifying emotion – students listen to identify the mood of certain speakers

 Listening for opinions – students listen to identify the attitude of certain speakers

 Inferring relationships – students listen to identify who the people are in the recording and what the relationship is between them

 Recognizing context – students listen to aural and contextual clues to identify where the conversation takes place, who is speaking, etc 4 Developing Listening Activities

As you design listening tasks, keep in mind that complete recall of all the information in an aural text is an unrealistic expectation to which even native speakers are not usually held Listening exercises that are meant to train should be success-oriented and build up students' confidence in their listening ability

4.1/ Construct the listening activity around a contextualized task

a map (one way) or exchanging name and address information (two ways) At an intermediate level students could follow directions for assembling something (one way) or work in pairs to create a story to tell to the rest of the class (two way)

4.2/ Define the activity's instructional goal and type of response

- Each activity should have as its goal the improvement of one or more specific listening skills A listening activity may have more than one goal or outcome, but be careful not to

overburden the attention of beginning or intermediate listeners

- Recognizing the goal(s) of listening comprehension in each listening situation will help student’s select appropriate listening strategies

Identification: Recognizing or discriminating specific aspects of the message, such as sounds, categories of words, morphological distinctions

Orientation: Determining the major facts about a message, such as topic, text type, setting

Main idea comprehension: Identifying the higher-order ideas

Detail comprehension: Identifying supporting details

Replication: Reproducing the message orally or in writing 4.3/ Check the level of difficulty of the listening text

The factors listed below can help you judge the relative ease or difficulty of a listening text for a particular purpose and a particular group of students

 How is the information organized? Does the story line, narrative, or

instruction conform to familiar expectations? Texts in which the events are presented in natural chronological order, which have an informative title, and which present the information following an obvious organization (main ideas first, details and examples second) are easier to follow  How familiar are the students with the topic? Remember that

 Does the text contain redundancy? At the lower levels of proficiency, listeners may find short, simple messages easier to process, but students with higher proficiency benefit from the natural redundancy of the language

 Does the text involve multiple individuals and objects? Are they clearly

differentiated? It is easier to understand a text with a doctor and a patient than one with two doctors, and it is even easier if they are of the opposite sex In other words, the more marked the differences, the easier the comprehension

 Does the text offer visual support to aid in the interpretation of what the

listeners hear? Visual aids such as maps, diagrams, pictures, or the images in a video help contextualize the listening input and provide clues to

meaning

4.4/ Use pre-listening activities to prepare students for what they are going to hear or view

The activities chosen during pre-listening may serve as preparation for listening in several ways

During pre-listening the teacher may

 assess students' background knowledge of the topic and linguistic content of the text

 provide students with the background knowledge necessary for their comprehension of the listening passage or activate the existing knowledge that the students possess

 clarify any cultural information which may be necessary to comprehend the passage

 make students aware of the type of text they will be listening to, the role they will play, and the purpose(s) for which they will be listening

 provide opportunities for group or collaborative work and for background reading or class discussion activities

Sample pre-listening activities:

 constructing semantic webs (a graphic arrangement of concepts or words showing how they are related)

 predicting the content of the listening text

 going over the directions or instructions for the activity  doing guided practice

4.5 / Match while-listening activities to the instructional goal, the listening purpose, and students' proficiency level

While-listening activities relate directly to the text, and students them during or immediately after the time they are listening Keep these points in mind when planning while-listening activities:

 If students are to complete a written task during or immediately

after listening, allow them to read through it before listening

Students need to devote all their attention to the listening task Be sure they understand the instructions for the written task before listening begins so that they are not distracted by the need to figure out what to

 Keep writing to a minimum during listening Remember that the primary goal is comprehension, not production Having to write while listening may distract students from this primary goal If a written response is to be given after listening, the task can be more demanding

 Organize activities so that they guide listeners through the text Combine global activities such as getting the main idea, topic, and setting with selective listening activities that focus on details of content and form

 Use questions to focus students' attention on the elements of the text

crucial to comprehension of the whole Before the listening activity begins, have students review questions they will answer orally or in writing after listening Listening for the answers will help students recognize the crucial parts of the message

 Use predicting to encourage students to monitor their

comprehension as they listen Do a predicting activity before

if it makes sense in the context of their prior knowledge and what they already know of the topic or events of the passage

 Give immediate feedback whenever possible Encourage students to examine how or why their responses were incorrect

Sample while-listening activities

 listening with visuals  filling in graphs and charts  following a route on a map  checking off items in a list  listening for the gist

 searching for specific clues to meaning  completing cloze (fill-in) exercises

 distinguishing between formal and informal registers

5 Using Textbook Listening Activities and Integrating Listening Strategies with Textbook Audio and Video

5.1Using Textbook Listening Activities

The greatest challenges with textbook tape programs are integrating the listening experiences into classroom instruction and keeping up student interest and motivation These challenges arise from the fact that most textbook listening programs emphasize product (right or wrong answer) over process (how to get meaning from the selection) and from the fact that the listening activities are usually carried out as an add-on, away from the classroom

You can use the guidelines for developing listening activities given here as starting points for evaluating and adapting textbook listening programs At the beginning of the teaching term, orient students to the tape program by completing the exercises in class and discussing the different strategies they use to answer the questions It is a good idea to periodically complete some of the lab exercises in class to maintain the link to the regular instructional program and to check on the effectiveness of the exercises themselves

Students can use this outline for both in-class and out-of-class listening/viewing activities Model and practice the use of the outline at least once in class before you ask students to use it independently

5.2.1 Plan for listening/viewing

 Review the vocabulary list, if you have one  Review the worksheet, if you have one

 Review any information you have about the content of the tape/video

5.2.2 Preview the tape/video

 (tape) Use fast forward to play segments of the tape; (video) view the video without sound

 Identify the kind of program (news, documentary, interview, drama)  Make a list of predictions about the content

 Decide how to divide the tape/video into sections for intensive listening/viewing

5.2.3 Listen/view intensively section by section For each section:

 Jot down key words you understand

 Answer the worksheet questions pertaining to the section

 If you don't have a worksheet, write a short summary of the section  d Monitor your comprehension

 Does it fit with the predictions you made?

 Does your summary for each section make sense in relation to the other sections?

5.2.4 Evaluate your listening comprehension progress

You can use post-listening activities to check comprehension, evaluate listening skills and use of listening strategies, and extend the knowledge gained to other contexts A post-listening activity may relate to a pre-listening activity, such as predicting; may expand on the topic or the language of the listening text; or may transfer what has been learned to reading, speaking, or writing activities

In order to provide authentic assessment of students' listening proficiency, a post-listening activity must reflect the real-life uses to which students might put information they have gained through listening

It must require students to demonstrate their level of listening comprehension by completing some task

To develop authentic assessment activities, consider the type of response that listening to a particular selection would elicit in a non-classroom situation For example, after listening to a weather report one might decide what to wear the next day; after listening to a set of instructions, one might repeat them to someone else; after watching and listening to a play or video, one might discuss the story line with friends

Use this response type as a base for selecting appropriate post-listening tasks You can then develop a checklist or rubric that will allow you to evaluate each student's comprehension of specific parts of the aural text (See Assessing Learning for more on checklists and rubrics.)

For example, for listening practice you have students listen to a weather report Their purpose for listening is to be able to advise a friend what to wear the next day As a post-listening activity, you ask students to select appropriate items of clothing from a collection you have assembled, or write a note telling the friend what to wear, or provide oral advice to another student (who has not heard the weather report) To evaluate listening comprehension, you use a checklist

containing specific features of the forecast, marking those that are reflected in the student's clothing recommendations

Material for this section was drawn from “Listening in a foreign

language” by Ana Maria Schwartz, in Modules for the professional preparation of teaching assistants in foreign languages (Grace Stovall Burkart, ed.;

Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics, 1998)

6 Contrasting Effective and Ineffective Listening Habits

Effective Listeners Ineffective Listeners

Pre-listening

Build their background knowledge on subject before listening

Have a specific purpose for listening and attempt to ascertain speaker's purpose

Tune in and attend

Start listening without thinking about subject

Have no specific purpose for listening and have not considered speaker's purpose

Minimize distractions

Create or are influenced by distractions

During Listening

Give complete attention to listening task and demonstrate interest

Search for meaning

Constantly check their understanding of message by making connections, making and confirming predictions, making inferences, evaluating, and reflecting

Know whether close or cursory listening is required; adjust their listening behaviour accordingly Are flexible note makers outlining, mapping, categorizing who sift and sort, often adding information of their own

Take fewer, more meaningful notes Distinguish message from speaker Consider the context and "colour" of words

Do not give necessary attention to listening task

Tune out that which they find uninteresting

Do not monitor understanding or use comprehension strategies

Do not distinguish whether close or cursory listening is required

Are rigid notetakers with few notemaking strategies

Try to get every word down or not take notes at all

Judge the message by the speaker's appearance or delivery

Accept words at face value

After Listening

Withhold judgment until comprehension of message is complete

Will follow up on presentation by reviewing notes, categorizing ideas, clarifying, reflecting, and acting upon

Jump to conclusions without reflection

the message

Listening requires conscious mental effort and specific purpose The purposes for listening relate to "types" of listening:

Are you listening to receive information? Are you listening to follow instructions? Are you listening to evaluate information? Are you listening for pleasure?

Are you listening to empathize?

http://www.onestopenglish.com/section.asp?catid=59653&docid=146219 Listening